Friday April 29th – they say that this game could tame lions; we work hard and have plenty of ups and downs but just ocassionally it produces something really special and for Kit to win the Champion Hunter Chase on Commercial Express at the Perth Festival on his first ride under rules in a thrilling finish in front of a huge and enthusiastic crowd on a marvellous spring day was just fantastic. Kit received a tremendous reception with live interviews for the crowd and for television; he deserved it, he has worked hard and must have watched the recordings of his favourite jockey Timmy Murphy winning round Perth on this horse 30 or 40 times, he is a tricky ride that needs produced in the shadow of the post, classic Timmy Murphy stuff , not easy to emulate and we’ve had a few near misses but to get it right when it mattered on the big day was really special. Jamie finished 4th on Noir et Vert who ran a big race but just faded in the late stages, he deserves huge credit for his Herculean effort in doing the weight which involved shedding 9lbs in the 24 hours prior to the race – no mean feat! Lucy finished down the field on Floreanna who needed the race and earlier in the afternoon The Paddy Premium failed to stay on his stable debut and will now be dropped back in trip.
At last... some of the famous Perth silverware!
As ever a short book could be written about Commercial Express since he arrived at Kinneston from David Johnson and the late Peter Monteith (don’t I wish he had been there yesterday). The latest chapter involved Kit and I returning from walking the course at Balcormo 12 days ago to find the horse unwell, he worsened during the evening and late on that Saturday night Kit and I held the horse for the vet as he pumped fluids into his stomach; to be in the winners enclosure at our local track 12 days later perfectly illustrates the roller coaster on which we ride…………
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